Hitting the “Wow” Factor: Decorating a Shelf

Photo and design by Anjie Cho Architect PLLC

I’ll let you in on a little decorating secret. The difference between a well-designed room and  a “WOW!” designed room lies in the details. After you’ve picked out the right wall color and cozied up to your new favorite furniture, it’s time to pull together the finishing touches, like decorating a set of shelves. Go for the “wow!” by following these five tips.

Balance

Even voracious readers need bookshelves with more than just books. If books are a component of your shelving plans, create pockets of reading material balanced between decorative items such as framed photos, small sculptures and other collectibles. Intersperse your favorite reads with your decorative elements. The same applies to the functional shelving dedicated to your crafting supplies, your bathroom, kitchen and more!

Group sets of like items with other functional or decorative elements between them. In a bathroom, place a basket with your make-up between two different sets of towels. In the craft room, organize your fabric in complimentary tones, for example, and pepper baskets of sewing supplies, favorite photos and other trinkets in between the stacks. Try out different combinations! 

Embrace Empty Space

A shelf stuffed full can crowd and overwhelm your space. Leave some wiggle room and blank spots. This isn’t about gaping holes. It can be more subtle than that. For example, try stacking taller books on their sides instead of placing them in the shelf upright. Leave space between the top of the stack and the shelf above it. Don’t wedge your items in tightly together. Leave small gaps to give a little breathing room and a peek at the back of your shelf unit or wall. 

Jazz Up The Background

The oft ignored back panel of a book case is a canvas waiting to bring your space to life! Paint the inside of a bookcase a few shades darker than your wall color. Alternatively, go for a complementary paint color, decorative patterned paper or mirrors. Get creative. If you’re really up for something different, try alternating two complementary colors or a solid and a simple pattern behind every other shelf. 

Get Eye Level

Grab a seat in the room and take a good look at which shelf falls at eye level. This should be your focal point. Use that shelf to feature your photos, artwork or other favorite elements. Then sit back and enjoy the view.

Layer It Up

You can create the illusion of deeper shelves by layering items. Push a grouping of books toward the back and place a small piece of art in front of them. Use natural items like coral and stones in front of framed and matted prints. The one-two (or three!) punch of elements will trick the eye into seeing a space with more depth than the shelf really has.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Six Tips to Picking the Right Paint Color

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Think back to the last time you painted a room in your home. Odds are you spent more time than you thought possible combing through color swatches in the paint department. You brought home a pocketful, or more, and taped them up on the wall to ‘live’ with them for a few days. Maybe more than a few days. Perhaps you’re still considering those swatches today. 

It doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 6 tips to picking the right paint color for your space.

Get inspired

With all the colors of the rainbow (and then some) at your fingertips, starting with swatches in a paint shop will quickly overwhelm you. Instead, do your homework first. What rooms and styles appeal to you in magazines or on Pinterest? Do you have a favorite piece of furniture or accent piece that you’d like included in the room? Build a color scheme off that item. 

Get in touch

How do you use the room you’ll be painting? What mood do you want to invoke? A bedroom, for example, is well suited to subdued calming hues. If you’re painting a child’s playroom or a den, however, you may want to select something more vibrant and energizing. You can also look at the meanings of the colors based on feng shui or color psychology. My book 108 Ways to Create Holistic Spaces goes through feng shui color theory.

Frame it

Your paint color will be influenced by the things around it. If you place a color sample on a white wall, for example, the color will appear darker than it may eventually look spread throughout the entire room after you paint. Instead, hold the color sample up against your flooring and your furniture. 

Shine a light

Sometimes a color that looks like absolute perfection in the store seems to look muddy and uninspired when you get it home. Was it your misguided enthusiasm for the hue in the shop? No, it’s more likely a matter of lighting. Make sure to look over those paint swatches at different times of day. Also take a look at the color in different areas of the room. 

Think outside the walls

Take into consideration existing finishes – flooring, furniture, and even other rooms within your line of sight. How does your intended paint color work with those elements?

Be open to neutral

If you’re still wavering on the right color, consider going with a neutral. Today’s options go beyond varying shades of white. Neutrals like brown and grey are trending. When you go this route, incorporate pops of personality and color with accessories. Not only will you have more flexibility with color choice when you introduce it through a chair or pillow, you can also change your color-loving mind more easily and cost effectively whenever the whim hits you.

by Anjie Cho

If you’d like to learn more about feng shui, check out Mindful Design Feng Shui School at: www.mindfuldesignschool.com

Choosing Quartz Composite Countertops

Quartz is one of my favorite healing crystals to use in feng shui and other holistic adjustments, but its usefulness doesn't stop at providing balance and amplifying nourishing energy . Actually, quartz is a great option for kitchen and bathroom remodeling, which are included in most renovation projects!

What is Quartz?

Quartz is actually one of the most abundant (the second most common) minerals found on Earth and dates back to ancient times. It was used for jewelry during China's Ming Dynasty and has been found in Aztec graves, also used as jewelry. This comes as no surprise, since quartz is a durable, useful and available substance. This durability and seemingly endless stock are primarily why quartz is such a great choice for renovation projects in kitchens and bathrooms. 

Quartz, which we use often in pure crystal form, is the hardest known non-gem material in the world and compares to diamonds and sapphires in strength. In fact, when renovations include granite countertops or other granite features, quartz is generally the reason these options are so durable. Typical granite consists of a mixed makeup of minerals, including about 20-35% quartz; however, it is possible to increase the percentage of quartz to 93% for optimum performance. This is what we call quartz composite surfacing. 

How is Quartz Used?

One typical feature of both kitchens and bathrooms is countertop. From sinks in bathrooms to prep space in kitchens, homeowners often choose to refurbish or replace the surfacing material for their countertops to keep up with modern trends or guarantee sturdy, long-lasting counters. This last feature is one of the most compelling reasons to opt for quartz surfacing material and is where we commonly see it used in homes. 

One of the most popular ways to use quartz in renovations is through the Breton method, which combines varieties of quartz and other aggregate materials with crushed mineral powders, binding resin and pigment to create a customizable, uniform, sturdy, slab of stone.

Why Choose Quartz Composites?

Aside from its durability and ready availability, quartz has plenty of perks that granite or stone countertops don't offer. Most notably, quartz is almost non-porous, which means that it resists staining and requires less upkeep than typical granite or stone options. Most stone counters are porous, which results in easy stains and means that the countertops need to be sealed, both initially and repeatedly throughout their lives. In contrast, quartz never needs to be sealed and is much harder to stain. 

Since it is one of the hardest minerals on the planet, quartz is also scratch resistant and heat scorch resistant. It also offers four to five times the flexural strength of stone, making it more likely to bend, less likely to break. All of these perks make quartz surfacing nearly maintenance free, and thanks to modern processes, it is available in a wide color palette to match any design scheme. Finally, quartz is naturally anti-bacterial as a non-porous surface, and adding additional anti-bacterial to the quartz surface composition is an option as well. 

Have you ever considered using quartz surfacing in your home renovations instead of stone countertops? I'd love to hear about your past or upcoming projects and how you choose your materials!

by Anjie Cho